Uncomfortable Indigestion? Try These Top Remedies

Uncomfortable Indigestion? Try These Top Remedies

Brittni Devlin |Mar 30, 2021

Natural and Medicinal Indigestion Remedies

Having an upset stomach can really impede your daily life. While indigestion is nothing to worry about most of the time, it is a good idea to seek treatment, so you can get back to your life and get relief from the pain and discomfort. Learning about indigestion remedies can help you understand how to treat — and avoid — this very common event.

What is Indigestion?

Indigestion is an umbrella term that refers to pain or discomfort coming from your upper abdomen. Sometimes called dyspepsia, indigestion is a symptom description rather than a name for a medical condition. It’s something that many people regularly encounter — some more than others.

Depending on your indigestion’s underlying cause, you will experience the symptoms a little different from others. Common symptoms classified as indigestion include:

  • Feeling prematurely full
  • Feeling uncomfortably full
  • Discomfort, pain, or a burning sensation in the upper abdomen
  • Bloating
  • Nausea or vomiting

Heartburn has high comorbidity with indigestion, although these are two different conditions.

What Causes Indigestion?

Many different circumstances and conditions cause indigestion. Often, indigestion is simply caused by dietary habits or anxiety. Overeating, eating too quickly, or ingesting too many fatty, greasy, spicy, caffeinated, or chocolate foods may also be blamed. Certain medications can also increase the chances of experiencing mild indigestion.

In cases where indigestion is consistent and cannot be explained by lifestyle habits or medication, a health condition may be responsible. Common health conditions resulting in indigestion include (but are not limited to) ulcers, gallstones, constipation, pancreatitis, cancer, stomach inflammation (gastritis), celiac disease, or intestinal ischemia. Although most cases of indigestion are nothing to worry about, some of these underlying conditions are serious and should be discussed with your physician.

Indigestion Treatments and Remedies

While you can always discuss any medical concerns with your primary care physician, there are a few simple things to try to alleviate indigestion at home.

Doctors advise you to start by making lifestyle changes. Avoiding foods that serve as triggers to indigestion is a crucial step to take. This means reducing spicy and fatty foods correlated with digestive problems. Eliminating alcoholic drinks and caffeinated things like coffee or chocolate is also a step in the right direction.

Some individuals try changing their meals. Instead of having the traditional three large meals a day, those suffering from indigestion opt to break the same amount of food down into five or six different meals. Taking additional measures to reduce stress and anxiety can also help alleviate the discomfort and distress.

If you believe it is a side effect of medication, try to substitute the medication you are using. Certain pain relievers, such as Advil and Motrin, are known for instigating an upset stomach. Your doctor can help you find something that works.

There are several different over-the-counter medications you can try to get symptom relief. If the problems persist, a doctor can help develop a treatment plan that includes prescription medications that may directly or indirectly treat symptoms. Such medications include:

  • Proton pump inhibitors: PPIs may help reduce stomach acid that contributes to indigestion. It also helps treat other symptoms that may coexist with indigestion, such as heartburn.
  • H2 blockers (H2RAs): This medication may help reduce excessive stomach acid that may instigate indigestion.
  • Antibiotics: Some indigestion is the result of bacteria in the stomach. Doctors may recommend antibiotics to help with this.
  • Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication: If your symptoms are the result of uncontrollable stress, antidepressants may help reduce the discomfort from indigestion.

When to See a Doctor

Occasional indigestion is perfectly normal in everyday life. In most cases, indigestion does not warrant a visit to the doctor. If symptoms persist for more than two weeks, a doctor’s visit is recommended. As symptoms may be a sign of a more serious, underlying health condition, it’s important to talk to your doctor whenever you have any questions or concerns.

Seeing a physician is especially important if you experience indigestion with any of the following symptoms:

  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Fatigue
  • Repeated vomiting
  • Black stool
  • Problems swallowing

Seek immediate medical attention if you have:

  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath, sweating, or chest pain radiating to the jaw, neck, or arm

Remember, your doctor is there to help you. They are trained medical professionals that can offer expert advice and give you the treatment you need.

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